Sectional ladder



(No Model.)

P. W. GATES.

SEGTIONAL LADDER.

No. 336,227. Patented'Feb, 16, 1886.

Fic E.

WITNESSES: INVE/VTUR FrafZii MPGataa" fffiZZ WWA ATTORNEY UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. GATES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE EMERY-GATES SECTIONAL LADDER AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF NEW YORK.

SECTIONAL LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,227, dated February16, 1886.

Application filed December 12, 1885. Serial No. 185,419. (No model.)

The invention includes also all the uses and applications to which itmay be applied; but

all such uses are not enumerated, as it is evident that the partycontrolling the patent may devote the invention to any purpose now orhereafter proposed.

My invention relates to a simplified form of sections for sectionalladders, to the location of projections and notches upon said sections,and to a fastening device for retaining in a rigid condition the severalsections, so as to form a long ladder, a platform, or an ordi narystep-ladden' The object of my invention is to provide a ladder which isadaptedto be built up of sections, each having parallel sides and all ofthe same width. In order to effect this result, I have met manydifficulties until the idea arose of making projections upon the outerside of one side rail and notches upon the rungs adjacent to the innerside of the opposite side 5 rail. By this very simple constructionsections of equal width and having parallel sides can be built into allthe forms of ladders llllaginable.

In order to illustrate the practical manner 40 of carrying out theinvention, and to enable others skilled in the art to which theinvention appertains to make and use the same, drawings are hereuntoannexed and described, in which similar letters represent correspondingelements, and in which each part referred to is designated by a singlecharacter. Those parts not mentioned are not claimed in this the presentapplication. The materials of construction employed, the exact forms ofdesign, and the proportional dimensions are not alluded to in everyinstance, as they are best determined upon by engineers in the art.

Figure 1 shows a ladder built up of sections; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, thefastening device for holding the sections together, and Fig. 5 5 5 across-sectional view of one of the details of construction.

The construction, as exhibited in Fig. 1, consists of the combination ofduplicate sections having parallel side rails, A, projections D of rungsB along the outer side of one of said side rails, and notches E in therungs adjacent to the inner surface of the other side rail.

Some of the details embodying my invention are as follows: The joints Ibetween the sections each consist of a side rail; a slot, J, in the endof said side rail; a rung, B, fitting into said slot; a second slot, K,at right angles to the first-named and containing springs L, adapted tobe sprung back into said second slot, said springs having hooks M, whichspring over said rung, and a rotatable lever,

N, between said springs and adapted to be pressed against the same, soas to push their 7 5 upper ends having the hooks M into the second-namedslot, K.

In Fig. 5 the construction consists of the combination of the siderails, A, rungs B therefor, and holes 0 and G in said side rails, eachrung having upon one end a smaller portion,

D, fitting into the holes in one side rail and projecting beyond thesame, and having upon the other end two smaller portions-an inner,

E, and an outer, Fseparated by a beveled collar, G, said outer smallerportion and said collar fitting into the holes 0 in the other side rail.A plate of metal, H, is bent over the end of each side rail and securedthereto by screws. -When any two sections are put end 0 to end andpushed together, the springs L are pushed apart by the rung B enteringthe slot. The hooks M retain the sections in position and prevent theirbeing pulled asunder until the lever N is rotated by means of the button5 0, when the hooks M recede from the rung B into the slot K and permitthe removal of the rung B, and therefore the taking of the ladder apart.

The invention is not limited to the precise ioo constructionhereinbefore described, as it is evident that many modifications may bemade therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Forexample, one of the hooks M may be omitted. The lever N may be replacedby any mechanism which will serve to liberate the hooks M from holdingthe rung B. The collar G need not have such a steep slope, but may slopegradually to the outer end of the smaller portion, F.

Heretofore ladder-sections adapted for building long straight laddershave been of almost any shape, except that which has herein beendescribed. In some the side rails have tapered toward each other; inothers the side rails of each section have been parallel, but alternatesections were of different widths; in others the side rails have beenparallel at and near both ends, but curved or tapered at and near theircenters; in others the sections have each been smaller toward the top ofthe ladder until the ladder terminates in a point.

Having now stated the title, object, and relation of the said invention,having described its practical realization by reference to theaccompanying drawings, having particularly ascertained the manner inwhich the same opcrates to accomplish the said object, and, further,stating that it is not necessary to state all the uses to which theinvention may be ap plied, what Ilconsider to be novel and original, andtherefore claim as my invention, secured to me by thehereinbei'ore-in-part-recited Letters Patent of the United States, is

1.' A sectional ladder formed of the combination of duplicate sectionshaving parallel side rails, rungs projecting beyond one of the siderails of each section, grooves upon the opposite ends of the said rungsand adjacent to the other of the side rails of each section, and slotsin the ends of said side rails, the said rungs fitting into the saidslots.

3. In sectional ladders. a section consisting of the combination of siderails, holes in said side rails, and rungs to said ladder, each runghaving upon one end a smaller portion fitting into theholes in one siderail and projecting beyond the saine,and having upon the outer end twosmaller portions-an inner and'an outer separated by a beveled collar,said outer. smaller portion and said collar fitting into the holes inthe other side rail, substantially as described.

4. In sectional ladders, the combination of side rails, slots in theends of said side rails, projections upon one side of said side rails,said rungs and their projections fitting into said slots, and anautomaticlocking device in said slots, substantially as described.

5. In sectional ladders, ajoint consisting of side rails, slots in saidside rails, rungs fitting into said slots, hooked springs sprung oversaid rungs, and an operating device consisting of a rotatable leverbetween said springs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name, in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of December, A. D. 1885.

FRANK W. GATES.

Witnesses:

DAVID W. PRICE, JosEPH PARKER, Jr.

